Baby bottle

ABSTRACT

An air valve in the bottom of a baby bottle manually admits air into the bottom of the bottle.

United States Patent Van Den Bosch Oct. 30, 1973 BABY BOTTLE 1,827,100 10 1931 Pardee 215m B 75 Inventor: Joseph Van Den Bosch, Elgin, 111. 2:333:33; 513;; [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization, 25291794 1950 New York 1,732,126 10/1929 Gardner 215/11 B [22] Filed: Dec. 28, 1971 Primary ExaminerDonald F. Norton [211 App! 2l3l05 Attorney-Daniel Jay Tick [52] US. Cl 215/11 B, 215] C [51] Int. Cl. A61] 9/04 [58] Field of Search 215/11 R, 11 A, 11 B, [57] ABSTRACT 215/11 C, 11 D; 220/D1G. 27, 85 V An air valve in the bottom of a baby bottle manually [56] References Cited admits air into the bottom of the bottle.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 297,174 4/1884 Seymour 215/11 B UX 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Baby bottles often have many disadvantages such as, I

for example, nipple collapse and the sucking in of excess air by the baby, resulting in colic and stomach ache. Anticolic baby bottles are more complex, and therefore more expensive, than normal baby bottles.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a baby bottle which overcomes the disadvantages of known baby bottles.

An object of the invention is to provide a baby bottle which is of simple structure, inexpensive to manufacture, and which eliminates nipple collapse and the intake of excess air by the baby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved anti-colic baby bottle of simple structure which function with efficiency, effectiveness and reliability.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a baby bottle of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective view, partly in section, of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cutaway perspective view, partly in section, of part of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the F IGS., the same components are identified by the same reference numerals.

A baby bottle 1 has a top 2 (FIG. 2) adapted to be affixed to a nipple 3 (FIG. 1). The bottle 1 may comprise any suitable material such as, for example, plastic material. The bottle I has a bottom 4 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3).

In accordance with the invention, an air valve, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is provided in the bottom 4 of the bottle 1 for manually admitting air into the bottom of the bottom thereby preventing nipple collapse and the intake of excess air by the baby.

An aperture 5 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is formed through the bottom 4 of the bottle 1. A plunger 6 extends through the aperture 5. The plunger 6 is of substantially cylindrical configuration and has an inside cap 7 at its inside end, of greater diameter than the remainder of the cylinder 6, and an outside cap 8 atits outside end, of greater diameter than the remainder of the cylinder (FIGS. 2 and 3).

A spring 9 is coaxially positioned on the plunger 6 and maintains said plunger in closed position, as shown in FIG. 2, in the absence of manual pressure, to keep the bottom 4 closed. One end of the spring 9 abuts the outside cap 8 and the other end of said spring abuts the bottom 4 of the bottle 1. The aperture 5 is sealed by a rubber washer 11 on the plunger 6 between the inside cap 7 and the bottom 4 of the bottle 1 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

When the plunger 6 is depressed manually by a finger 12 (FIG. 3), for example, air is admitted into the bottom of the bottom, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3, and such air prevents the collapse of the nipple 3 (FIG. 1) and the intake of excess air by'the baby.

A collar 13, having external threading 14, extends from the bottom 4 of the bottle 1 a sufficient distance to cover the air valve of the invention (FIGS. 2 and 3). A bottle cap 15 (FIGS. 1 and 2), having internal threading 16, is threadedly coupled to the collar 13 to prevent the air valve from being depressed inadvertently and to keep said valve clean. When the valve is to be depressed, the bottle cap 15 is first removed.

All the parts except the spring 9 may comprise plastic material.

While the invention has been described by means of specific examples and in specific embodiments, I do not wish to be limited thereto, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A baby bottle having a top adapted to be affixed to a nipple and a bottom, said baby bottle comprising an air valve in the bottom for manually admitting air into the bottom of the bottle, an externally threaded collar extending from the bottom of the bottle a sufficient distance to cover the air valve; and an internally threaded bottle cap threadedly coupled to the collar.

2. A baby bottle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve comprises an aperture formed through the bottom of the bottle, a plunger extending through the aperture and a spring on 'the plunger maintaining the plunger in closed position in the absence of manual pressure to keep the bottom closed.

' 3. A baby bottle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plunger of the valve is of substantially cylindrical configuration having a cap at each end of greater diameter thanthe remainder of the cylinder, one cap being inside the bottle and the other cap being outside the bottle, and one end of the spring abuts the cap outside the bottle and the other end of the spring abuts the bottom of the bottle.

4. A baby bottle as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a coaxially positioned rubber washer on the plunger of the valve between the cap inside the bottle and the bottom of the bottle. 

1. A baby bottle having a top adapted to be affixed to a nipple and a bottom, said baby bottle comprising an air valve in the bottom for manually admitting air into the bottom of the bottle, an externally threaded collar extending from the bottom of the bottle a sufficient distance to cover the air valve; and an internally threaded bottle cap threadedly coupled to the collar.
 2. A baby bottle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the valve comprises an aperture formed through the bottom of the bottle, a plunger extending through the aperture and a spring on the plunger maintaining the plunger in closed position in the absence of manual pressure to keep the bottom closed.
 3. A baby bottle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plunger of the valve is of substantially cylindrical configuration having a cap at each end of greater diameter than the remainder of the cylinder, one cap being inside the bottle and the other cap being outside the bottle, and one end of the spring abuts the cap outside the bottle and the other end of the spring abuts the bottom of the bottle.
 4. A baby bottle as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a coaxially positioned rubber washer on the plunger of the valve between the cap inside the bottle and the bottom of the bottle. 